“Not My Team”: Analyzing Tweets About Iranian Protests During the 2022 FIFA World Cup

In September 2022, the killing of Mahsa Amini, an Iranian woman reportedly accused of not wearing a hijab, ignited widespread protests across Iran and other parts of the world. Two months later, as the Iranian national soccer team competed against England, Wales, and the United States in the 2022 FIFA World Cup group stage, the echoes of these protests persisted both within Iran and on global social media platforms. Scholars have noted that during mega-sporting events, social media platforms can amplify various narratives. Employing a multifaceted approach, we explored Twitter conversations related to Iran’s participation in the World Cup. Our comprehensive methodology included biterm topic modeling and sentiment analysis of tweets related to the Iranian protests. Grounded in the principles of connective action, we found that while a third of the tweets centered on game-related sentiments, two thirds critically addressed the Iranian regime and advocated for the protesters. This research highlights the influential role of social media in spotlighting human-rights concerns during prominent sporting events.